Women's Basketball

Denker Receives Contract Extension

Jul 16, 2001

July 13, 2001

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -
The Santa Clara University Department of Athletics and Recreation announced a number of contract extensions and promotions within its coaching staff in the sports of soccer and basketball, including the signing of women's basketball head coach Chris Denker to a contract extension.

In addition to Denker, Dick Davey has signed a contract extension that will ensure his position as head men's basketball coach through the 2004-2005 season. In addition, women's soccer assistant Rich Manning, men's soccer assistant Cameron Rast and men's basketball assistant Steve Seandel were each elevated to the position of associate head coach.

"We have some extremely talented coaches on our staff and I am pleased that we can take the appropriate steps to ensure they will remain a long term and vital part of Santa Clara athletics," said Cheryl L. Levick, director of athletics and recreation. "The contract extensions of our two head basketball coaches and the elevation of the three assistants will help us continue the success and stability we have enjoyed with those sports."

Denker enters his second season as head coach of the women's basketball program after leading the team to a 20-8 record and WCC regular-season co-championship last season. Denker was elevated to head coach after serving as an assistant on the Bronco staff for the previous seven seasons.

Davey enters his 10th season at Santa Clara as the winningest and longest-tenured coach in the West Coast Conference. During his tenure, the Broncos have enjoyed a 73 percent home winning percentage and have the second-winningest program in the WCC over the last seven seasons. He is 160-102 as the Broncos' head coach and has been a part of the Santa Clara basketball program for 24 seasons.

Manning, a 1986 graduate of Santa Clara, enters his fourth season on the Bronco women's soccer staff following a career as a successful youth coach in Southern California. As a player at Santa Clara, he was an all-Far West selection and team captain under former head coaches Ralph Perez and Steve Sampson.

Rast, a two-time All-America soccer player for Santa Clara, enters his eighth season on the men's soccer staff under head coach Mitch Murray. Upon graduation from SCU in 1991, he appeared as a member of the U.S. National Team and was a captain of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team that participated in the Barcelona Games.

Seandel is in his 10th year on the Santa Clara men's basketball staff and is chiefly responsible for developing the program's offensive game plans and recruiting. He is in his second tenure in the Bronco program, having served as a part-time assistant coach during the 1988-90 seasons.